In an interview with GQ magazine, Tarantino explained how his films reflect current racial politics. “[T]alking about America’s culpability in their past is what Django’s about,” Tarantino told GQ. “The white supremacy that has existed since and that is rearing its ugly head again, to such a degree that it’s being dealt with by the Black Lives Matter movement and all that stuff, is where we are now."

Tarantino said that social issues are naturally embedded in his creative process and that the topic is inescapable.

"The thing that was really wild is, I wasn’t trying to bend over backwards in any way, shape, or form to make it socially relevant. But once I finished the script, that’s when all the social relevancy started," he said.

The film stars Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell and Channing Tatum. It's set in post-Civil War Wyoming where seven bounty hunters and one fugitive try to survive a snowstorm -- and each other.

In October, Tarantino participated in a rally in New York City where hundreds of people gathered to protest police violence against black men and women. Tarantino said he is hopeful that his films will have a lasting impact on the black community for generations to come.

“I liked the idea of creating a new pop-culture, folkloric-hero character that I created with Django, that I think’s gonna last for a long time," he said. "[M]y hope is it can be a rite of passage for black fathers and their sons."